‘Jackpot,’ A Short Film About a Gay Teen Who Finds a Treasure Trove of Porn Mags

Written by J.W. Waxner-Herman November 25th, 2013

Remember when you had to jerk off to International Male catalogs because you didn’t have access to any real porn?

I’m probably dating myself. Anyway, flashback to 1994, and young Jack has that exact problem. Then he hears from a friend about a pile of gay porn mags that some friends found in a dumpster, and he makes a beeline to nab the jackpot for himself.

In this funny short film by Adam Baran, Jack gets a hand from an imaginary porn star friend, the fictional Ricky Swayze (Adam Fleming), and has to fend off some bullies just so he have some actual spank-bank material of his very own.

5 Responses to “‘Jackpot,’ A Short Film About a Gay Teen Who Finds a Treasure Trove of Porn Mags”

One thing could have been added to tie everything up. The Jackpot magazine should have been definitively shown being left behind before the fight, blown away perhaps, and then having it “reappear” in Jack’s pocket after he gets home after the fight. That would shown Ricky Swayze staying with him/helping him even when we thought Ricky had “disappeared”.

As it stands now, what we are to believe is that Jack just put the magazine in his backpocket before the fight and it was still there afterwards. That’s neither compelling nor cinematic.

The point was, instead of beginning a habit of running away from his problems, the kid stood up for himself, even if that meant getting the shit kicked out of him. The masculine images in the magazine that spurred his desire also inspired him to emulate that fearless masculinity. He didn’t break apart like eggshells; he didn’t cry or bitch and think about taking his life. He fought the fight and he was able to have his “rewards” afterwards. If you want to focus on mundane details like how did he keep the magazine in his pocket during the fight, then symbolism is lost on you. At least make a legitimate complaint. What you’re saying is the magazine should have emerged like magic? That’s just tripe bullshit. I mean i like magical realism, but in films, especially short films it’s a cheap ploy.

If my addition was a cheap ploy what do you call Ricky Swayze emerging from the magazine, in full costume, and speaking to/interacting with Jack? That’s the cheapest of “magical” ploys!

I hadn’t realized it before but the entire Ricky Swayze presence in the film would make my addition, clearly losing the magazine but having it be in his pocket after the fight, even a better idea because it would fit right in with how Ricky Swayze was in the film.